‘Fertility Fraudster’: Netflix Greenlights Series On Man Accused Of Fathering More Than 500 Children
Exclusive: The story of a Dutch YouTuber accused of fathering more than 500 children is to be explored in a Netflix documentary series titled Fertility Fraudster [working title].
The three-part series will delve deeper into the global fertility industry by focusing on Jonathan Meijer, who late last month was ordered to stop donating sperm by judges in The Netherlands and told he will be fined €100,000 for each future infraction.
With exclusive access to a group of passionate and aggrieved mothers, the series will unravel the twisting and turning story of a man who defrauded people across the globe, and how these mothers are now on a mission to push for a change in the law to prevent him deceiving more.
Meijer has been banned from donating in The Netherlands for a number of years but is accused of simply relocating his activities and currently resides in Kenya. The Dutch court recently determined that...
The three-part series will delve deeper into the global fertility industry by focusing on Jonathan Meijer, who late last month was ordered to stop donating sperm by judges in The Netherlands and told he will be fined €100,000 for each future infraction.
With exclusive access to a group of passionate and aggrieved mothers, the series will unravel the twisting and turning story of a man who defrauded people across the globe, and how these mothers are now on a mission to push for a change in the law to prevent him deceiving more.
Meijer has been banned from donating in The Netherlands for a number of years but is accused of simply relocating his activities and currently resides in Kenya. The Dutch court recently determined that...
- 5/9/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
U.K. network Channel 4 has commissioned a new documentary from Curious Films about TV host and author Paula Yates, who died following a heroin overdose at the age of 41 in 2000.
The two-part doc, titled simply “Paula,” will explore the “life and legacy” of the wildchild presenter, whose relationships with Boomtown Rats’ vocalist Bob Geldof and rockstar Michael Hutchence dominated the headlines in the late 1990s. Yates and Geldof’s daughter, model Peaches Geldof, also died of a heroin overdose at the age of 25 in 2014.
The doc promises to “reveal the real Paula Yates behind the tabloid-driven narrative, drawing on an extraordinary set of never-before-heard interviews, the words of some of those who knew her best and a wealth of archive to tell her story in her own words.”
Yates was a Channel 4 staple during her prime, fronting shows including “The Tube” and “The Big Breakfast” for which she interviewed...
The two-part doc, titled simply “Paula,” will explore the “life and legacy” of the wildchild presenter, whose relationships with Boomtown Rats’ vocalist Bob Geldof and rockstar Michael Hutchence dominated the headlines in the late 1990s. Yates and Geldof’s daughter, model Peaches Geldof, also died of a heroin overdose at the age of 25 in 2014.
The doc promises to “reveal the real Paula Yates behind the tabloid-driven narrative, drawing on an extraordinary set of never-before-heard interviews, the words of some of those who knew her best and a wealth of archive to tell her story in her own words.”
Yates was a Channel 4 staple during her prime, fronting shows including “The Tube” and “The Big Breakfast” for which she interviewed...
- 2/27/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
The botched Operation Yewtree investigation, which sought to bring to light historic sex offences perpetrated by British celebrities in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, is set to be examined in a new Channel 4 documentary.
Singer Cliff Richard, radio DJ Paul Gambaccini and former “Pop Idol” judge Neil Fox were among those publicly accused of historic sex crimes during the operation, which launched 10 years ago. None of them were ever convicted of any crimes.
Richard went on to sue the BBC for invasion of privacy after the network broadcast a police raid of his home during the operation. He was awarded £210,000 in damages and over £2 million (2.4 million) in legal costs, although he said the sum didn’t cover the full cost of the legal bills he incurred in a bid to clear his name.
Curious Films (“Caroline Flack: Her Life & Death”) are producing the doc, which will...
Singer Cliff Richard, radio DJ Paul Gambaccini and former “Pop Idol” judge Neil Fox were among those publicly accused of historic sex crimes during the operation, which launched 10 years ago. None of them were ever convicted of any crimes.
Richard went on to sue the BBC for invasion of privacy after the network broadcast a police raid of his home during the operation. He was awarded £210,000 in damages and over £2 million (2.4 million) in legal costs, although he said the sum didn’t cover the full cost of the legal bills he incurred in a bid to clear his name.
Curious Films (“Caroline Flack: Her Life & Death”) are producing the doc, which will...
- 8/10/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Sir Cliff Richard and two other British entertainers accused but never convicted of sex crimes are to take part in a Channel 4 documentary marking a decade since Operation Yewtree.
National treasure Richard was famously accused by a man of sexual assault but Richard was never charged and went on to win £2M (2.4M) from a BBC settlement, after BBC News sent a helicopter to cover police raiding his Berkshire home.
He will contribute to Curious Films’ The Accused: National Treasures on Trial alongside Pop Idol judge Neil Fox and DJ Paul Gambaccini, all of whom were accused but never arrested.
Led by their personal stories and experiences of being investigated, while in the full glare of the national media, including video diaries recorded with Gambaccini and Fox at the time, the documentary explores the immediate and longer-lasting impact the process had on them, their families, careers and reputations.
It...
National treasure Richard was famously accused by a man of sexual assault but Richard was never charged and went on to win £2M (2.4M) from a BBC settlement, after BBC News sent a helicopter to cover police raiding his Berkshire home.
He will contribute to Curious Films’ The Accused: National Treasures on Trial alongside Pop Idol judge Neil Fox and DJ Paul Gambaccini, all of whom were accused but never arrested.
Led by their personal stories and experiences of being investigated, while in the full glare of the national media, including video diaries recorded with Gambaccini and Fox at the time, the documentary explores the immediate and longer-lasting impact the process had on them, their families, careers and reputations.
It...
- 8/10/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has partnered with Curious Films for feature length John McAfee documentary called “Running With The Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee,” which will deliver exclusive never-before-seen footage of the eccentric software pioneer as he goes on the run following the murder of his neighbor. And you can watch the first trailer for the documentary right now in the player above.
McAfee invented one of the most successful and frustrating pieces of software in computer history: McAfee Anti-Virus. At his peak, he was worth 100 million. But when his neighbor was murdered, he cashed in his fortune and went on the run — and invited a film crew with him. Claiming he was fleeing for his life, McAfee absconded to the jungles of Belize with weapons, drugs and alcohol to create a new life for himself.
“’Running With The Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee’ is a story that’s...
McAfee invented one of the most successful and frustrating pieces of software in computer history: McAfee Anti-Virus. At his peak, he was worth 100 million. But when his neighbor was murdered, he cashed in his fortune and went on the run — and invited a film crew with him. Claiming he was fleeing for his life, McAfee absconded to the jungles of Belize with weapons, drugs and alcohol to create a new life for himself.
“’Running With The Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee’ is a story that’s...
- 7/27/2022
- by Brandon Katz
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
The incredible life and death story of John McAfee — who passed away in 2021 — is getting the feature doc treatment at Netflix.
The streamer has ordered Running With The Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee from London-based Curious Films, marking their Netflix debut.
The original computer genius gone rogue, McAfee famously invented of one of the most successful — and hated — pieces of software of all time with the McAfee Anti-Virus. At his peak, he was worth 100 million. But when his neighbor was murdered, he went on the run — cashed in his fortune, left civilization and moved to the jungle in Belize, where he set up a Colonel Kurtz-like compound of guns, sex and madness. But he invited a film crew to join him.
Claiming that he was running for his life and chased by armed gunmen, McAfee and the film crew traveled deep into the rainforest,...
The incredible life and death story of John McAfee — who passed away in 2021 — is getting the feature doc treatment at Netflix.
The streamer has ordered Running With The Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee from London-based Curious Films, marking their Netflix debut.
The original computer genius gone rogue, McAfee famously invented of one of the most successful — and hated — pieces of software of all time with the McAfee Anti-Virus. At his peak, he was worth 100 million. But when his neighbor was murdered, he went on the run — cashed in his fortune, left civilization and moved to the jungle in Belize, where he set up a Colonel Kurtz-like compound of guns, sex and madness. But he invited a film crew to join him.
Claiming that he was running for his life and chased by armed gunmen, McAfee and the film crew traveled deep into the rainforest,...
- 7/27/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Curious Films is producing “Running With The Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee,” a feature length documentary for Netflix telling the story of the life and death of software pioneer John McAfee.
British-American McAfee was the inventor of one of the most successful, and reviled, pieces of software of all time: McAfee Antivirus. At his peak, McAfee was worth 100 million. But when his neighbor was murdered, he went on the run — and invited a film crew with him. McAfee claims he is running for his life, chased by armed gunmen. McAfee and the film crew travel deep into the Belizean rainforest, across international borders, up river in the jungles of Guatemala and through the Bahamas on a boat loaded with guns, drugs and alcohol, trying to stay one step ahead of their alleged pursuers.
In 2020, McAfee was arrested in Spain over U.S. tax evasion charges. In 2021, he was...
British-American McAfee was the inventor of one of the most successful, and reviled, pieces of software of all time: McAfee Antivirus. At his peak, McAfee was worth 100 million. But when his neighbor was murdered, he went on the run — and invited a film crew with him. McAfee claims he is running for his life, chased by armed gunmen. McAfee and the film crew travel deep into the Belizean rainforest, across international borders, up river in the jungles of Guatemala and through the Bahamas on a boat loaded with guns, drugs and alcohol, trying to stay one step ahead of their alleged pursuers.
In 2020, McAfee was arrested in Spain over U.S. tax evasion charges. In 2021, he was...
- 7/27/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has greenlit a premium documentary on software pioneer John McAfee, who went on the run after his neighbor was murdered in Belize.
British Reclaiming Amy producer Curious Films is behind Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee for the streamer, charting the movements of the inventor of McAfee Anti-Virus, one of the most successful yet hated pieces of software of all time. Scroll down for the trailer.
McAfee, who died last year, was worth 100M at his peak but went on the run when his neighbor Gregory Faull was murdered and he was being investigated in connection to the homicide. He invited a film crew with him. He was eventually arrested and faked two heart attacks in order to buy time for his attorney to file appeals, he later said.
With exclusive access to hundreds of hours of previously unseen footage and in-depth accounts from the people who knew him best,...
British Reclaiming Amy producer Curious Films is behind Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee for the streamer, charting the movements of the inventor of McAfee Anti-Virus, one of the most successful yet hated pieces of software of all time. Scroll down for the trailer.
McAfee, who died last year, was worth 100M at his peak but went on the run when his neighbor Gregory Faull was murdered and he was being investigated in connection to the homicide. He invited a film crew with him. He was eventually arrested and faked two heart attacks in order to buy time for his attorney to file appeals, he later said.
With exclusive access to hundreds of hours of previously unseen footage and in-depth accounts from the people who knew him best,...
- 7/27/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Kim Shillinglaw, a former BBC Two Controller and Endemol Shine Factual Director, has become a Non-Executive Director of Squad Goals and Reclaiming Amy producer Curious Films.
Shillinglaw, who has held some of the most senior roles in British TV, will seek to help the non-scripted company capitalize on a spate of recent commissions as it actions a growth plan over the next 12 months.
Curious said it is in production on a range of major projects for UK broadcasters and international streamers, having found success with BBC Three football doc series Squad Goals, which is now into its third season co-produced with Insight TV, and BBC Two’s Reclaiming Amy, the Amy Winehouse feature that is the BBC’s most-watched music documentary on iPlayer of all time.
Shillinglaw was most recently Endemol Shine Factual Director overseeing a raft of labels, but she left soon after the company was bought by Banijay.
Shillinglaw, who has held some of the most senior roles in British TV, will seek to help the non-scripted company capitalize on a spate of recent commissions as it actions a growth plan over the next 12 months.
Curious said it is in production on a range of major projects for UK broadcasters and international streamers, having found success with BBC Three football doc series Squad Goals, which is now into its third season co-produced with Insight TV, and BBC Two’s Reclaiming Amy, the Amy Winehouse feature that is the BBC’s most-watched music documentary on iPlayer of all time.
Shillinglaw was most recently Endemol Shine Factual Director overseeing a raft of labels, but she left soon after the company was bought by Banijay.
- 3/9/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Coming just five months after “Framing Britney Spears,” Curious Films’ new documentary, “Reclaiming Amy,” about late singer Amy Winehouse, takes a similar tack in examining the flesh-and-blood woman behind the paparazzi pictures.
Only two years apart in age, Spears and Winehouse dominated the mid-2000s tabloid headlines with their public unravelling although, unlike Spears, Winehouse’s story ended in tragedy, with the 27-year-old dying from alcohol poisoning in 2011.
“About 18 months ago, we’d clocked that the 10-year anniversary was on the horizon and we just sort of asked ourselves, ‘Is there anything left to tell with the Amy Winehouse story that hasn’t been covered in other films before?’” Dov Freedman, co-founder of Curious Films and an executive producer on “Reclaiming Amy,” tells Variety.
After reaching out to Winehouse’s mother Janis, Freedman and Curious Films co-founder Charlie Russell were invited to her home for “a cup of tea” where...
Only two years apart in age, Spears and Winehouse dominated the mid-2000s tabloid headlines with their public unravelling although, unlike Spears, Winehouse’s story ended in tragedy, with the 27-year-old dying from alcohol poisoning in 2011.
“About 18 months ago, we’d clocked that the 10-year anniversary was on the horizon and we just sort of asked ourselves, ‘Is there anything left to tell with the Amy Winehouse story that hasn’t been covered in other films before?’” Dov Freedman, co-founder of Curious Films and an executive producer on “Reclaiming Amy,” tells Variety.
After reaching out to Winehouse’s mother Janis, Freedman and Curious Films co-founder Charlie Russell were invited to her home for “a cup of tea” where...
- 7/23/2021
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s Global Bulletin, BBC Four snags “The Hunt for a Killer”; Curious Films and Picture Zero team on U.K. Climate Assembly doc; Nada Arnot joins Britbox North America; Rainmaker Content boards “Amy Winter” and Global Agency sells Turkish drama “The Phoenix” in several territories.
Acquisition
BBC Four has picked up Swedish crime thriller “The Hunt for a Killer” from Banijay Rights. The series is produced by Yellow Bird and will head to BBC iPlayer later this summer. Set in the south of Sweden in the late ’80s, “The Hunt for a Killer” dramatizes the real-life disappearance and murder of a 10-year-old girl and its subsequent 16-year long investigation. Banijay has also sold the series to Sbs in Australia, Rtl in Germany and NBCUniversal in France. The series is co-produced by Banijay’s Yellow Bird and Swedish broadcaster Svt and Film I Skåne.
Documentary
Curious Films and Picture Zero in the U.
Acquisition
BBC Four has picked up Swedish crime thriller “The Hunt for a Killer” from Banijay Rights. The series is produced by Yellow Bird and will head to BBC iPlayer later this summer. Set in the south of Sweden in the late ’80s, “The Hunt for a Killer” dramatizes the real-life disappearance and murder of a 10-year-old girl and its subsequent 16-year long investigation. Banijay has also sold the series to Sbs in Australia, Rtl in Germany and NBCUniversal in France. The series is co-produced by Banijay’s Yellow Bird and Swedish broadcaster Svt and Film I Skåne.
Documentary
Curious Films and Picture Zero in the U.
- 5/12/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s Global Bulletin, BBC Two and BBC Music announce a behind-the-scenes Amy Winehouse doc; Netflix supports a new series development masters program in Italy; M6 commissions a French version of “Domino Effect”; and Red Arrow unveils its MipTV lineup.
Documentary
BBC Two and BBC Music have commissioned a documentary feature celebrating the life and legacy of musician Amy Winehouse. Working titled “Amy Winehouse: 10 Years On,” the film will exploit the benefit of a decade of hindsight to paint a more holistic picture of Amy Winehouse the person, rather than the troubled public figure which is often presented of her.
The special is told largely from the point of view of Janis Winehouse, Amy’s mother. Suffering from Ms, which threatens her long-term memory, Janis was motivated to show the world the Amy she knew, and immortalized her memories on film while she still can.
“I don’t feel...
Documentary
BBC Two and BBC Music have commissioned a documentary feature celebrating the life and legacy of musician Amy Winehouse. Working titled “Amy Winehouse: 10 Years On,” the film will exploit the benefit of a decade of hindsight to paint a more holistic picture of Amy Winehouse the person, rather than the troubled public figure which is often presented of her.
The special is told largely from the point of view of Janis Winehouse, Amy’s mother. Suffering from Ms, which threatens her long-term memory, Janis was motivated to show the world the Amy she knew, and immortalized her memories on film while she still can.
“I don’t feel...
- 3/31/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
BBC Two will air a new documentary, Amy Winehouse: 10 Years On, to mark a decade since Amy Winehouse’s death. The documentary, commissioned by BBC Two and BBC Music, will be told primarily from the perspective of Winehouse’s mother, Janis.
“I don’t feel the world knew the true Amy, the one that I brought up, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to offer an understanding of her roots and a deeper insight into the real Amy,” Janis said in a release, which noted that Janis’ viewpoint...
“I don’t feel the world knew the true Amy, the one that I brought up, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to offer an understanding of her roots and a deeper insight into the real Amy,” Janis said in a release, which noted that Janis’ viewpoint...
- 3/31/2021
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
In today’s Global Bulletin, “Moominvalley” gets a third season commission; Abacus Media Rights sells “Trickster” in the U.S.; “The Last Journey of the Vikings” to dock at various destinations; Channel 4 and Curious Films announce Caroline Flack documentary special; Talpa Entertainment hires and Jellyfish Studios promotes.
Animation
Gutsy Animation’s global hit “Moominvalley” has been picked up for a third season at Finland’s Yle and Sky in the U.K. International Emmy-nominated and a hit at international festivals such as Banff and Shanghai, the series adapts Finnish-Swedish author and artist Tove Jansson’s popular “Moomin” kids stories.
“Moominvalley” vets Sara Barbas (“Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit”), Nigel Davies (“Shaun the Sheep”), Darren Robbie (“Doc McStuffins”) and Jay Grace (The Farmer’s Llamas) return to direct for Season 3. The series’ voice acting cast includes the likes of Rosamund Pike, Bel Powley, Warwick Davis, Matt Berry,...
Animation
Gutsy Animation’s global hit “Moominvalley” has been picked up for a third season at Finland’s Yle and Sky in the U.K. International Emmy-nominated and a hit at international festivals such as Banff and Shanghai, the series adapts Finnish-Swedish author and artist Tove Jansson’s popular “Moomin” kids stories.
“Moominvalley” vets Sara Barbas (“Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit”), Nigel Davies (“Shaun the Sheep”), Darren Robbie (“Doc McStuffins”) and Jay Grace (The Farmer’s Llamas) return to direct for Season 3. The series’ voice acting cast includes the likes of Rosamund Pike, Bel Powley, Warwick Davis, Matt Berry,...
- 11/2/2020
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Cineflix Rights, the UK-based distribution arm of Canada’s Cineflix Media, has signed a first-look development deal with British factual producer Curious Films.
The first-look deal gives Cineflix exclusive distribution rights to Curious’ new shows in return for development funding. Its existing slate includes BBC Three’s Britain’s Youngest Football Boss and the BBC Two documentary Chris Packham: 7.7 Billion People & Counting.
Richard Life, head of acquisitions at Cineflix Rights, said: “Curious Films has demonstrated the ability to win commissions from across the UK market for high-profile, attention-grabbing content which appeals to a wide range of audiences — particularly the 16-34 age group.”
Curious Films co-founder Dov Freedman added: “Partnering with Cineflix Rights provides us with the opportunity to move to our next phase of growth, building out from the UK into international markets.”
Freedman, who has worked on shows such as The Island with Bear Grylls, set up Curious...
The first-look deal gives Cineflix exclusive distribution rights to Curious’ new shows in return for development funding. Its existing slate includes BBC Three’s Britain’s Youngest Football Boss and the BBC Two documentary Chris Packham: 7.7 Billion People & Counting.
Richard Life, head of acquisitions at Cineflix Rights, said: “Curious Films has demonstrated the ability to win commissions from across the UK market for high-profile, attention-grabbing content which appeals to a wide range of audiences — particularly the 16-34 age group.”
Curious Films co-founder Dov Freedman added: “Partnering with Cineflix Rights provides us with the opportunity to move to our next phase of growth, building out from the UK into international markets.”
Freedman, who has worked on shows such as The Island with Bear Grylls, set up Curious...
- 1/23/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
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